This gallery serves as a tribute to all those old potential hot rods & rat rods which have been left to rust away by their owners.

Enjoy the photos and flash back to a time when $75 dollars bought you a 1940 Ford Sedan which you could drop some Old’s power in and tear up the streets, or fenders on that T-bucket were the first things to come off and open pipes could be heard miles across town.

Sadly some of the stories received are that the old heaping pile of metal will never see the road again, the only records to tell their stories will be from their previous owners and the photos captured here in this gallery.

A special thanks to all the people who have sent in pictures. We love to hear your comments on these old rat rods and no we don't know where they are, we don't even ask, but you never know, you may get lucky and stumble upon one someday.

Do you have a photo(s) and a story to share with the community? Send your photos, along with a brief description to rustyrides@oldride.com.

What is a Rat Rod?

The term "Rat Rod" can be considered to be a traditional street rod that
was built by its owner not to be mistaken with a Hot Rod which is an
accurate restoration of a vehicle from the same area. While the term Rat
Rod started off as a derogatory reference to the low-budget attempt to
build a street rod or hot rod, it was this term that gives its
distinction from the anti-yuppie street rodder. Rat Rods are nothing
new, in fact the youth of the 1940's and 50's were building Rat Rods as
daily drivers; from highboy Fords to a '50s Buick or Mercury's each part
is bolted, welded or hammered to together by its owner with great
pride.

A rat rod is not made to look pretty, in fact it is intentionally made
to look a little rough and mean. Most rat rods or painted flat black or
gray and have an "unfinished" or "work-in-progress" look. It is not
uncommon to see a Rat Rod bearing its original paint color with patches
of rust or exposed metal. Other finishes can include hand-painted
pin-stripping as made famous by Von Dutch who was a major influence in
the customizing of vehicles in the 1950s up to today.

In addition to the exterior appearance, often times Rat Rods are pieced
together using spare parts from a variety of other makes and models of a
vehicle. Generally, rat rods derive from early 20's, 30's and 40's
vehicles. The body is generally missing hoods, fenders and bumpers while
the body is channeled over the frame giving it a lower profile. Vehicles
from the 50's & 60's that are converted into Rat Rods are often seen
with the top chopped (A roof that's had sections removed from the
pillars and welded back on in a lower position) and customized into
Leadsleds, Low Riders or Kustoms.

Rat Rods have become a form of expression for their owners and can truly
be considered a work of art. They are made simply to be driven with
owners taking pride in their "hand-built" accomplishment.